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Toronto 18 ringleader no longer shows signs of extremism, granted full parole: board
Toronto 18 ringleader granted full parole
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
One of the ringleaders of the thwarted Toronto 18 terror plot has been granted full parole after the Parole Board of Canada found he no longer showed "any signs of holding onto extremist beliefs or radical ideologies."
Zakaria Amara, who helped recruit members for a group that aimed to storm Parliament Hill and bomb several locations around Toronto, has been on day parole with multiple conditions for four years, and the board upgraded his release after reviewing his case last week.
In a written decision issued Friday, the two-member panel says Amara, 41, undertook a process to deradicalize while incarcerated and has used his day parole "for its intended rehabilitative purpose," demonstrating "positive change, both in attitude and in behaviour."
It says he was closely supervised while on day parole and his internet use, friendships and relationships were monitored, with no reported safety concerns or breaches.
The decision, which includes several redactions, says Amara now plans to live in his own home and continue to structure his time around his full-time job, attending a mosque, seeing his family and "appropriate leisure activities."
He is barred from communicating with anyone involved in criminal activity, including any of the others arrested in the June 2006 anti-terrorist raids, or come into contact with anyone with extremist ideologies, except in his work as a consultant with a specialized program.
He must also continue to participate in counselling and be subject to financial monitoring as well as restrictions on his phone and internet use.
The board's decision comes two decades after the dismantling of the homegrown plot that shocked the country and shifted public discourse around terrorism.
Amara and an accomplice recruited people for a group based on jihadist ideologies, planning to carry out terrorist acts to demand the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan.
The group eventually splintered in two, with Amara taking the helm of a plot focused on building truck bombs targeting the Canadian Security Intelligence Services headquarters, the Toronto Stock Exchange building, and a military base.
He was arrested on the day bomb-making materials were delivered to a warehouse.
Amara pleaded guilty to participating in a terror group with the intention of causing an explosion or explosions that were likely to cause serious bodily harm or death, and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years. He challenged the sentence but it was upheld on appeal.
The parole board document said his "problematic and extremist ideologies and attitudes" remained during his first few years behind bars, which also included several incidents of misconduct.
His ideology "began to shift" in 2014 and he was eventually transferred to a medium-security institution in 2019, where correctional officers reported he was "respectful, polite and quiet," the board said.
Amara was granted day parole for three months in 2022 and it was extended several times.
"During the latter part of your federal custody and for the past four years in the community, you have undertaken a process to distance yourself from extremist ideologies and others who share the same views," the board wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
By Paola Loriggio | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Police look to cause of fiery Calgary bus crash, try to identity third person killed
Cause of fiery Calgary bus crash unknown: police
Police are trying to determine the cause of a fiery bus crash in Calgary that killed three passengers and injured 16 others, including a police officer.
Two transit buses were involved in the chain-reaction crash with several other vehicles Thursday on a busy road in the city's northeast.
Police say the three who died were on a bus with natural gas tanks that ignited into flames and, within seconds, intensified and caused an explosion.
They say two of the victims have been identified and work to identify the third is ongoing.
The bus driver was able to escape, the driver of the other bus was taken to hospital with life-altering injuries, and the officer who rushed to help is recovering at home.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has said the officer ran onto the burning bus to save a child.
Police say it's too early to determine whether impairment, speed or distraction contributed to the crash.
By Bill Graveland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Joly warns Stelco owner to protect jobs or face forced sale of Canadian assets
Joly warns Stelco owner of potential forced sale
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says the U.S.-based owner of Stelco must uphold job commitments it made when it purchased the Ontario-based steelmaker or risk being forced to sell its Canadian assets.
In a speech at the Canadian Club in Toronto on Friday, she also raised the possibility of the federal government taking equity positions in strategic industries.
But Joly stopped short of explicitly saying Ottawa was prepared to take an ownership stake in Stelco.
The minister singled out Stelco owner Cleveland-Cliffs, accusing the American company of supporting U.S. tariffs that are damaging its own Canadian operations.
Stelco announced plans on Sept. 28 to lay off up to 500 workers across its Hamilton and Lake Erie facilities, citing the ongoing trade crisis, weak demand and continued import pressure.
Stelco’s Hamilton Works produces cold-rolled and galvanized steel. The company said it would indefinitely idle both operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
— By Brett Bundale in Ottawa, with files from Tara Deschamps in Toronto
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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La prod de STAT répond aux comparaisons à « District 31» et « Grey’s Anatomy »
La nouvelle quotidienne reçoit encore des critiques. 👀
La nouvelle quotidienne de Radio-Canada, STAT, fait encore bien des remous sur les réseaux sociaux. Après que les téléspectateur.trices aient critiqué les « erreurs médicales » ainsi que la prononciation des comédien.nes, les fans comparent aussi la série àDistrict 31 ainsi qu'à Grey's Anatomy, ce à quoi la production a répondu.
Ce n'est pas la première fois que la prod répond, alors qu'elle avait déjà abordé la question de la vraisemblance du milieu médical à l'émission. L'équipe avait donc expliqué que certaines décisions sont prises pour respecter la logistique de tournage. Cette fois, les responsables des réseaux sociaux de la série ont donné leur avis au sujet des comparaisons faites avec l'émission policière qui occupait la plage horaire avant celle-ci.
Tout a commencé quand, une fois de plus, des membres du public ont relevé des incohérences entre la réalité et l'organisation de l'hôpital St-Vincent. Un.e internaute a notamment relevé le fait que le personnage de Ludivine Reding, qui est infirmière en salle d'urgence, assiste aussi en salle d'opération, ce qui ne serait pas plausible :
« Je vais lâcher ça... fiction trop grossière [...]. Il y a beaucoup d'intrigues, mais les " conseillers experts médicaux " sont à côté [de] la coche trop souvent. »
« Ce n'est pas une erreur, c'est un choix lié à la réalité du nombre de comédiens qu'on peut avoir sur le plateau, et l'ensemble du projet. On ne peut pas avoir un rôle pour chaque poste, ce sont des choix narratifs. Ça ne change rien à l'histoire, au contraire, ça permet de suivre plus en profondeur chacun des personnages, au lieu de s'éparpiller sur 20 ou 25 histoires. », a alors écrit la production.« District 31 n’avait pas beaucoup de staff, mais les gestes posés étaient plus réels! », a écrit un.e fan, introduisant ainsi la comparaison avec l'émission chouchou de plusieurs Québécois.es.
« Les gestes étaient pas mal moins complexes et beaucoup moins nombreux. Tenir un pistolet, mettre des menottes, ça se résumait pas mal à ça, en termes de geste. Le reste, c'était des propos techniques au texte. Bon épisode! » , a rétorqué la production.
Lorsqu'une autre personne a comparé STAT à la populaire série médicale américaine Grey's Anatomy, la production a récidivé en expliquant les différences selon leur point de vue.
« Je comprends l’enjeu du [nombre] d’acteurs et de budget pour tout le staff et les unités de soins… mais appart les acteurs qui ont des personnages et personnalités attachantes... Il est vrai de dire qu['il y] a [beaucoup] « d’erreurs » qui sont terriblement loin de la réalité et qui me font réagir et décrocher à de nombreuses occasions moi aussi! Je vous jure que j’essaie tant que je peux, mais….(#onestloindeGreysAnatomy!)», a écrit un.e téléspectateur.trice.
« Grey's Anatomy n'est pas une quotidienne, et surtout elle n'a pas les mêmes enveloppes budgétaires. Ce serait bien de garder ça en tête...», a répondu l'équipe derrière la page Facebook de STAT.
« Oui je sais tout ça! Mais quand même... [Il y] a une méchante différence… même à côté de District ou j’ai embarqué tout de suite ! #fullaccro! Mais là… J’aime les personnages, mais [il y] a [quelque chose] qui cloche... À suivre ! », a dit un.e fan suite au commentaire de la production.
« Hiiii boboy [il y en] a une méchante gang qui [n'a] pas encore compris c'est quoi de la fiction... pour ma part j'adore vraiment beaucoup. »
« Formidable l'épisode [du] lundi 3 octobre, pour moi A+. »
Même si certain.es démontrent leur mécontentement, d'autres ne se gênent pas pour commenter à quel point iels aiment la série et les comédien.nes, qui font du bon travail.